8 Harriet Bedell,
Deaconess and Missionary, 1969
9 Julia Chester Emery,
1922
10 William Laud,
Archbishop of Canterbury, 1645 was an English bishop and
academic. He was the Archbishop of Canterbury from 1633,
during the personal rule of Charles I. Arrested in 1640, he was executed in 1645.
12 Aelred, Abbot of
Rievaulx, 1167 was an English writer, abbot of Rievaulx (from 1147 until
his death), and saint.
13 Hilary, Bishop of
Poitiers, 367 was Bishop of Poitiers and is a Doctor of the Church. He was
sometimes referred to as the "Hammer of the Arians" (Latin: Malleus
Arianorum) and the "Athanasius of the West." His name comes from the
Latin word for happy or cheerful.
OLD TESTAMENT: Isaiah 42: 1 - 9 (RCL)
Isaiah 42:
1 - 4, 6 - 7 (Roman Catholic)
Isai 42:1 (NRSV)
Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom
my soul delights;
I have put my
spirit upon him;
he will bring
forth justice to the nations.
2 He will not cry
or lift up his voice,
or make it heard
in the street;
3 a bruised reed
he will not break,
and a dimly
burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully
bring forth justice.
4 He will not grow
faint or be crushed
until he has
established justice in the earth;
and the coastlands
wait for his teaching.
5 Thus says God,
the LORD,
who created the
heavens and stretched them out,
who spread out the
earth and what comes from it,
who gives breath
to the people upon it
and spirit to
those who walk in it:
6 I am the LORD, I
have called you in righteousness,
I have taken you
by the hand and kept you;
I have given you
as a covenant to the people,
a light to the
nations,
7 to open the eyes
that are blind,
to bring out the
prisoners from the dungeon,
from the prison
those who sit in darkness.
8 I am the LORD,
that is my name;
my glory I give to
no other,
nor my praise to
idols.
9 See, the former
things have come to pass,
and new things I
now declare;
before they spring
forth,
I tell you of
them.
PSALM 29 (RCL)
Psalm 29: 1 - 4,
3b+9b-10 (Roman Catholic)
Psal 29:1 (NRSV)
Ascribe to the LORD, O heavenly beings,
ascribe to the
LORD glory and strength.
2 Ascribe to the
LORD the glory of his name;
worship the LORD
in holy splendor.
3 The voice of the
LORD is over the waters;
the God of glory
thunders,
the LORD, over
mighty waters.
4 The voice of the
LORD is powerful;
the voice of the
LORD is full of majesty.
5 The voice of the
LORD breaks the cedars;
the LORD breaks
the cedars of Lebanon.
6 He makes Lebanon
skip like a calf,
and Sir'ion like a
young wild ox.
7 The voice of the
LORD flashes forth flames of fire.
8 The voice of the
LORD shakes the wilderness;
the LORD shakes
the wilderness of Ka'desh.
9 The voice of the
LORD causes the oaks to whirl,
and strips the
forest bare;
and in his temple
all say, "Glory!"
10 The LORD sits
enthroned over the flood;
the LORD sits
enthroned as king forever.
11 May the LORD
give strength to his people!
May the LORD bless
his people with peace!
29 Afferte
Domino (ECUSA BCP)
1 Ascribe
to the Lord, you gods, *
ascribe
to the Lord glory and strength.
2 Ascribe
to the Lord the glory due his
Name; *
worship
the Lord in the beauty of
holiness.
3 The
voice of the Lord is upon the
waters;
the God of glory
thunders; *
the Lord is upon the mighty waters.
4 The
voice of the Lord is a powerful
voice; *
the
voice of the Lord is a voice of
splendor.
5 The
voice of the Lord breaks the cedar
trees; *
the Lord breaks the cedars of Lebanon;
6 He
makes Lebanon skip like a calf, *
and
Mount Hermon like a young wild ox.
7 The
voice of the Lord splits the
flames of fire;
the voice of the Lord shakes the wilderness; *
the Lord shakes the wilderness of Kadesh.
8 The
voice of the Lord makes the oak
trees writhe *
and
strips the forests bare.
9 And
in the temple of the Lord *
all
are crying, “Glory!”
10 The
Lord sits enthroned above the
flood; *
the Lord sits enthroned as King for evermore.
11 The
Lord shall give strength to his
people; *
the Lord shall give his people the blessing
of peace.
NEW TESTAMENT: Acts 10: 34 - 43 (RCL)
Acts 10:
34 - 38 (Roman Catholic)
Acts 10:34 (NRSV)
Then Peter began to speak to them: "I truly understand that God shows no
partiality, 35 but in every nation anyone who fears him and does what is right
is acceptable to him. 36 You know the message he sent to the people of Israel, preaching
peace by Jesus Christ--he is Lord of all. 37 That message spread throughout
Judea, beginning in Galilee after the baptism that John announced: 38 how God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power; how he went
about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was
with him. 39 We are witnesses to all that he did both in Judea and in
Jerusalem. They put him to death by hanging him on a tree; 40 but God raised
him on the third day and allowed him to appear, 41 not to all the people but to
us who were chosen by God as witnesses, and who ate and drank with him after he
rose from the dead. 42 He commanded us to preach to the people and to testify
that he is the one ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead. 43 All
the prophets testify about him that everyone who believes in him receives
forgiveness of sins through his name."
Peter is visiting Cornelius, an officer of the occupying Roman army and already a believer in God. Peter breaks Jewish law by visiting a Gentile. The Greek here is rough, full of grammatical errors, unlike the rest of Acts, so we may well have Peter's unedited words. He tells the assembled company that God does not favour Jews over others: anyone, whatever his nationality, who reveres God and lives in unison with him “is acceptable to him” (v. 35). In vv. 36-38, Peter summarizes Jesus’ earthly ministry; he applies prophecies found in Isaiah 52:7 and 61:1 to Christ. (Psalm 107:20 says “... he sent out his word ...”) Christ is Kyrios , “Lord of all” (v. 36). In baptism, the Father “anointed” (v. 38) Jesus “with the Holy Spirit” and with the “power” of God (but he was already integral with God’s very being.) The good news (“message”, v. 37) spread throughout Palestine (“Judea”); he “went about” (v. 38) “doing good” and combatting evil, doing deeds so powerful that it is clear that he was God’s agent: he is a model for all to follow.
He suffered death as one guilty of a capital offence, per Deuteronomy 21:23: he hung on a “tree” (v. 39) and was cursed. (By Jesus’ time, the “tree”, a pole, had acquired a cross-arm.) But, although cursed, the Father “raised him” (v. 40) and “allowed him to appear” to those chosen by God – to be “witnesses” (v. 41). In Luke 24:41-43, Jesus eats broiled fish with them, so he was clearly humanly alive again, i.e. physically brought back from death, resurrected. Jesus, the Kyrios , is the one appointed by God to set up the Kingdom and to judge both those who are alive, and those who have died, at Judgement Day (v. 42). Then v. 43: he fulfills many Old Testament prophecies: he is the one through whom sins are forgiven. Forgiveness is now available to “everyone who believes”, not just to Jews.
Verse 35: “does what is right”: Literally: practices righteousness . [ JBC]
Verses 36-43: This sums up the gospel, beginning with the baptism of John and ending with the statement that Christ is judge: see 3:20-21 (Peter’s second sermon). [ NOAB]
Verse 36: “preaching peace”: This traditional eschatological prophecy, based on Isaiah 52:7 and 61:1, was applied to Jesus’ ministry with redoubled emphasis in Luke’s gospel (7:22; 4:17-20) and Jesus’ commissioning of his disciples as “peace” harbingers was prominent in his mission instruction (Luke 10:5-6).
Verse 36: “he is Lord of all”: To be understood in the light of Romans 10:12: “For there is no distinction between Jew and Greek; the same Lord is Lord of all and is generous to all who call on him.”. [ NJBC]
Verse 37: “the baptism that John announced”: See also 1:22 and Luke 3:2-3. [ JBC]
Verse 38: “God anointed Jesus”: See also Luke 3:22 (Jesus’ baptism) and 4:14. [ NOAB] An allusion to Isaiah 61:1. Jesus’ investiture with the power of the Holy Spirit. This does not say that Jesus became Messiah at his baptism. Acts 2:36 and 3:12-20 suggest an entirely different understanding of Jesus’ messiahship, as does the Infancy Narrative (see Luke 1:32-33). Jesus is the spirit-filled agent of God’s saving activity. [ JBC]
Verse 39: “by hanging him on a tree”: A figurative expression for crucifixion, derived from Deuteronomy 21:23-24: “When someone is convicted of a crime punishable by death and is executed, and you hang him on a tree, his corpse must not remain all night upon the tree; you shall bury him that same day, for anyone hung on a tree is under God's curse ...”. See also 2:23; 5:30; Galatians 3:13. [ JBC]
Verse 40: “on the third day”: See also 1 Corinthians 15:4 and Hosea 6:2 (“After two days he will revive us; on the third day he will raise us up, that we may live before him”). [JBC]
Verse 40: “allowed him to appear”: NJBC offers gave him to be manifested.
Verse 41: “witnesses”: See Luke 24:48; Acts 1:8, 22. [ NOAB]
Verse 42: “commanded”: JBC offers commissioned.
Verse 42: “judge of the living and the dead”: 17:31 says that God “has fixed a day on which he will have the world judged in righteousness by a man whom he has appointed, and of this he has given assurance to all by raising him from the dead”. See also 1 Peter 4:5 and 2 Timothy 4:1. [ NOAB]
Verse 43: This verse is a complete reprise of Luke 24:44-48. [ NJBC]
Verse 43: “All the prophets testify about him”: See Isaiah 2:2; 40:5; Joel 2:32. However, a scholar wonders to which prophets Peter is referring.
Verses 44-48: In Acts, believers usually receive the Holy Spirit at baptism (see 2:38 and 19:5-6), or before baptism (as here), but in 8:15-16 they receive it after baptism, and only when the apostles visit.
GOSPEL: Matthew 3: 13 - 17 (all)
Matt 3:13 (NRSV)
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 John
would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do
you come to me?" 15 But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it
is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he
consented. 16 And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the
water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said,
"This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
John the Baptist
has appeared, calling people to repentance, to turning back to God’s ways, to
the way of life to which Israel committed herself at Sinai. He tells of the
nearness of God’s kingdom, the time of complete fulfilment of God’s promises to
humans. A new era, in which God rules, is almost here! John seeks to dissuade
Jesus from seeking baptism but (in words that we do not fully understand) Jesus
insists: for the present, being baptised by you is to perfectly fulfill the
Father’s will. In being baptised, Jesus joins the community now walking in
God’s ways. His baptism shows his continuity with God’s will seen in the Old
Testament:
the coming of the
“Spirit of God” (v. 16), an Old Testament term, shows he is the Messiah;
the words spoken
by the heavenly “voice” (v. 17) are much like Isaiah 42:1: Jesus is the agent
of God who will suffer for others – not the kind of Messiah people expected.
“Beloved” is not
sentiment; rather it indicates God’s will. The “voice” (v. 17) says three
things:
Jesus really is
God’s “Son”;
he is chosen for
ministry to God’s people, and
God approves his
coming for baptism and his joining with his people in preparing for the coming
crisis.
The parallels are
Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:31-34.
Verse 14: “would
have prevented him”: BlkMt offers tried to forbid him, and says that the verb
is in the imperfect, a tense in Greek which here indicates an action attempted
but then given up.
Verse 14: John
assumes that the greater one should not be baptised by the lesser one. [ BlkMt]
Verse 15: “now”:
Perhaps until Jesus’ crucifixion and resurrection or until John the Baptist’s
death. BlkMt says that “now” indicates that this reversal of positions is
temporary. Jesus’ superior rank does not release him from the obligation “to
fulfill all righteousness”; he is one with his people and must join with them
in the acts which express response to God’s spokesman and dedication to God’s
will. That Jesus comes for baptism shows that he recognizes John as being
correct: divine judgement is imminent; Israel must repent and be baptised and,
by obedience, prepare for the coming Kingdom.
Verses 16-17: A
description of the surge of certainty and self-understanding that came to Jesus
at his baptism. The language, akin to Old Testament speech, portrays a
spiritual experience which words cannot adequately describe.
Verse 16: At his
baptism, Jesus stood in the Jordan River and probably submerged himself at
John’s consent and direction. [ BlkMt]
Verse 16: “the
Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him”: Has not Jesus
possessed the Spirit before? The Spirit here is not thought of as a passive
presence, but as an active power which comes to rouse him to action and give
him power and guidance for his work. He is now equipped for his task; he is
made to know that he must at once begin his ministry, and he is given the power
and direction to do it. [ BlkMt]
Jesus is
confronted by God as agent of renewal of his people by the coming of the
“Spirit” which will provide him with God’s wisdom, knowledge and power (see
Isaiah 11:1-2) and by the voice from God, acclaiming him as “Son” and agent of
God’s rule (see Psalm 2:7) in whom he is “well-pleased” (see Isaiah 42:1). In
the days of Noah (see Genesis 8:1-18), the return of a dove with a “freshly
plucked olive leaf” symbolizes a new pact between God and humans.
Verse 17: “a voice
from heaven”: This is the voice of God, just as the “kingdom of heaven” (v. 2,
4:17; 5:3; etc.) is the Kingdom of God. The words of the heavenly voice reflect
the identification of Jesus with the messianic king of Psalm 2 and with the
Servant of Isaiah 42. Whether Jesus already foresaw the suffering of that
Servant as his inescapable role is not stated; perhaps he did. It is clear that
Jesus worshipped, thought and lived in the atmosphere of Old Testament
expectations. He inevitably understood his mission in the light of them. [
BlkMt]
Verse 17: “Son”:
In Deutero-Isaiah, the Hebrew reads servant, not son; the word is ‘ebed. In the
Septuagint translation, this word is translated as pais – which also means boy
or child. “Son” is a small step from there. But the change may be deliberate –
for the realization of Jesus’ sonship is his servanthood.
As Jerome noted,
this is the first New Testament revelation of the Trinity. Jesus’ baptism is a
model for Christian baptism.
Verse 17:
“Beloved”: The Greek word has a meaning similar to that translated chosen: see
Isaiah 42:1, but with some reference to Psalm 2:7 and Genesis 22:2. It refers
to an act of God’s will (not feeling): see also 2 Peter 1:17. In Luke 9:35 (the
Transfiguration) the word is chosen. The word “Beloved” expresses not merely
favoured position with the Father, but also God’s choice of him for a ministry
to God’s people. [ BlkMt]
Verse 17: “well
pleased”: BlkMt sees this as approval of Jesus’ submission to baptism but notes
that other scholars see this as timeless approval of the submission to baptism
which has just occurred, as in am always well pleased.
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